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The basic arithmetic of a current recession + rising gas prices can naturally lead to the conclusion of economic paranoia. It would not be a great surprise to expect that such problems would inspire a heightened level of selfishness within the general public when it comes down to spending money.
However, a recent study done by Ethical Corporation Institute has suggested that is not the case.

This week Heather Franzese joined Todd and me in Mumbai. Heather arrived straight from Washington D.C. after attending a meeting of the MFA Forum (Multi Fiber Agreement).
At the MFA forum, brands, NGOs and multi-lateral organizations met to discuss the impact of the current economy on garment workers’ lives. Reduced consumer spending in the US and Europe has many factories struggling to stay open, and some have already closed.

As a part of TransFair’s work on developing a Fair Trade standard for textile products, our team planned a three week trip to India to connect with garment workers, cotton farmers, worker representatives and labor rights Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s).